Latest news with #MarineConservationSociety
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
World Environment Day 2025: What is plastic pollution and why is it a problem?
It's World Environment Day on 5 June, a day organised by the United Nations where campaigners aim to inspire people to take action to protect our planet from climate change and raise awareness of issues around the year's theme is all about plastic pollution and what we can do to tackle it.A recent study by an ocean charity found that the amount of plastic rubbish found on beaches in the UK had increased by nearly 10%.The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) said that their volunteers had picked up three quarters of a million pieces of litter across beaches in the UK in what is plastic pollution and why is it a problem? Keep reading to find you or your school doing anything for World Environment Day? Let us know in the comments below. What is plastic? Plastic is in lots of things we use from clothing to crisp packets, and bottles to things from plastic is popular because there are many different types - and it can be made in to all sorts of shapes, colours and can be coloured or clear, thick or thin, strong or you look around your home or school, you'll find most things have plastic in them, including your pencil case, games consoles, and even are man-made and can be produced from natural materials like coal and oil. What is plastic pollution and why is it a problem? Plastic pollution is when plastic waste ends up in the environment, and it can damage our oceans, rivers, lakes and main problem with plastic is that most of it isn't biodegradable. That means it doesn't break down in the environment like paper or food, so instead it can hang around for hundreds of year, 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced and 40% of that is single-use - plastic we'll only use once before it's of single-use plastic are carrier bags, drinks bottles and crisp packets. Millions of tonnes of plastic enters the world's oceans each year and most of that escapes from bits of plastic, called microplastics, have also been found in things like the food we eat and soil in the ground and even in the air we can be blown into the sea from ships and beaches, or carried there by river. Some also gets flushed down the issue is that not all plastic can be might be because of the way it is made up or because it is too expensive or difficult to do. What's already being done about plastic pollution? In March 2022, nearly 200 UN countries agreed to start negotiations on an international plan on how to deal with plastic leaders are trying to agree the plastic pollution treaty - setting rules on how plastic is made, used and thrown away - and how the treaty is paid year's World Environment Day comes exactly two months before countries meet in Switzerland to continue negotiating a global agreement to end plastic UN Environment Programme (Unep) aims to bringing countries together to try to work on issues that affect the to the programme, plastic pollution is one of the defining environmental challenges of our time.
Fashion Network
3 days ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
FatFace "dives deeper into purpose-driven fashion" with marine charity partnership renewal
FatFace is big advocate of purpose-driven fashion and the British lifestyle brand is renewing its association with the Marine Conservation Society in a big way. Under a new 'impactful partnership' its very-own FatFace Foundation is pledging £500,000 to support the Atlantic Coast Programme dedicated to cleaner, healthier oceans. Building on over £275,000 already raised in the last five years, the renewed partnership 'continues to turn fashion into a force for good' via a 'vital three-year initiative to restore the UK's most fragile marine habitats', including kelp forests, seagrass meadows, native oyster reefs/farms and underwater reef systems. The initiative is linked to the brand's new ocean-inspired men's and women's capsule collection which 'translates this mission into style… [with] fluid silhouettes, coral textures, and sea-toned hues that celebrate the species this programme is helping to protect'. As the Atlantic Coast programme calls on all four UK nations to #RestoreTheShore, FatFace and the FatFace Foundation are 'inviting its community to 'wear the change and help turn the tide on marine degradation through fashion with a purpose'. The Next -owned brand's conservation efforts aren't confined to the sea as its previous spring collection was linked to Beeble, the British eco business that specialising in 'artisanal honey spirits'. It referenced a hive's honeycomb structure and the wildlife supporting bees' pollination.
Fashion Network
3 days ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
FatFace "dives deeper into purpose-driven fashion" with marine charity partnership renewal
FatFace is big advocate of purpose-driven fashion and the British lifestyle brand is renewing its association with the Marine Conservation Society in a big way. Under a new 'impactful partnership' its very-own FatFace Foundation is pledging £500,000 to support the Atlantic Coast Programme dedicated to cleaner, healthier oceans. Building on over £275,000 already raised in the last five years, the renewed partnership 'continues to turn fashion into a force for good' via a 'vital three-year initiative to restore the UK's most fragile marine habitats', including kelp forests, seagrass meadows, native oyster reefs/farms and underwater reef systems. The initiative is linked to the brand's new ocean-inspired men's and women's capsule collection which 'translates this mission into style… [with] fluid silhouettes, coral textures, and sea-toned hues that celebrate the species this programme is helping to protect'. As the Atlantic Coast programme calls on all four UK nations to #RestoreTheShore, FatFace and the FatFace Foundation are 'inviting its community to 'wear the change and help turn the tide on marine degradation through fashion with a purpose'. The Next -owned brand's conservation efforts aren't confined to the sea as its previous spring collection was linked to Beeble, the British eco business that specialising in 'artisanal honey spirits'. It referenced a hive's honeycomb structure and the wildlife supporting bees' pollination.
Scotsman
25-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Rare tuna fishing licence given to Scottish boat with eyes on Tokyo market
Bluefin tuna have been making a comeback to British waters Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A skipper from a Scottish island is one of a select few in the UK to have been granted a licence for tuna fishing. Angus Campbell, from Harris, is one of 15 fishers to be issued a commercial licence to catch bluefin tuna, which are showing a 'heartening resurgence', according to the Marine Conservation Society. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Only a handful of licences, which last a year, are given out by the UK Government's Marine Management Organisation (MMO) due to the need to protect and conserve the species, which has previously been in decline due to overfishing. Angus Campbell pictured left with fellow fisherman from Devon, Andy, onboard Harmony | Katharine Hay For 2025, the UK has some 66 tonnes of bluefin tuna quota, of which 45 will be shared among the licence holders. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Campbell's threshold of three tonnes will be landed at Leverburgh, to the south of the island, which will open up fishing to the west of the Hebrides where he said the tuna are of a higher quality. The skipper had previously been restricted to Stornoway, on the east of Lewis, when he was given a licence two years ago. This, in turn, will make the catch more marketable to high end customers in the UK, but also markets in Tokyo where bluefin is highly sought after, he said. Angus Campbell's boat, Harmony, which is based out of Leverburgh | Katharine Hay Mr Campbell, who has held a catch-and-release licence for bluefin, which helps with research projects on the migratory fish, said he is 'very excited to be back in commercial fishing.' He said: 'Landing at Leverburgh gives us the opportunity to work out west and we are hoping to get a better quality of fish than was accessible when we could only land at Stornoway. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It has to be of very good quality to send it abroad. We are looking at local and UK markets and have plans set up to go as far as Tokyo. We had it all set up last year but unfortunately didn't get a licence.' Mr Campbell, who also runs Kilda Cruises, operates the vessel 'Harmony' which can carry up to 12 passengers and is also used for angling trips. Demand for licences from around the UK was described as 'exceptionally high.' While bluefin have made a comeback to UK waters, particularly the English Channel and the southwest coast of England, catching them for commercial purposes is limited for conservation reasons. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Although no official list of the fresh round of license holders has been published yet, it is thought that Mr Campbell's is the only one in Scotland. Duncan Macinnes, secretary of the Western Isles Fishermen's Association, said the licence for Leverburgh will 'give flexibility to the grounds where we know larger tuna are migrating to.' He added: 'We have been saying for years that there is potential for a well-managed tuna fishery in the Outer Hebrides which could have a real economic impact. 'This is an important step towards that and the fact that landings can take place at Leverburgh as well as Stornoway is a really significant development'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Conservation efforts and changes in climate have brought bluefin back to UK waters. In 2023, the UK Government gave the greenlight for some fishing boats to be given one year-long commercial licences as part of a trial to evaluate the sustainability of a small scale bluefin tuna fishery.
Daily Record
19-05-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Volunteers collect nearly 900 pieces of litter from small stretch of Dumfries and Galloway coastline
The Marine Conservation Society has revealed volunteers in Scotland picked up an average of 204 litter items for every 100m of beach cleaned in 2024. Nearly 900 pieces of litter were collected from a small stretch of Dumfries and Galloway coastline. The Marine Conservation Society has revealed that last year, volunteers in Scotland picked up an average of 204 litter items for every 100m of beach cleaned. And in Dumfries and Galloway, nine volunteers cleaning a stretch of beach at RSPB Mershead collected and recorded 879 pieces of litter along a 100m stretch. The charity's State of Our Beaches report for 2024 shows volunteers across the UK picking up more than three quarters of a million pieces of litter last year – an average of 170 items per 100 metres of coastline. The Marine Conservation Society's Beachwatch manager, Lizzie Price, said: 'Thanks to more than 15,000 volunteers last year, the data from our beach cleans is clear: plastic pollution remains a huge problem for our marine environment. 'We urgently need more policies to reduce single-use plastics and ensure better waste management. Everyone has a role to play in protecting our oceans, and we urge the public to support stronger action against plastic waste, as well as cut down plastic from their everyday use.' The report's findings were the subject of a Scottish Parliament debate at Holyrood. Galloway and West Dumfries MSP, Finlay Carson, said: 'I know that much of that litter comes straight from the A75 which winds its way along the Solway coast for much of its length. 'This is not a problem we can clean our way out of. While volunteer efforts are vital, we must also adopt bold policy measures – such as embracing a circular economy and phasing out single-use plastic items like wet wipes, cotton buds, cutlery and straws. 'The Marine Conservation Society has rightly called on all UK governments, including the Scottish Government, to work closely with stakeholders to tackle this crisis head-on. 'This is not an insurmountable challenge but it will require a serious shift in public attitudes, robust policy interventions, and continued support for the volunteers and organisations working tirelessly to protect our coastlines.' • The Marine Conservation Society is keen for people to organise more beach cleans along the Dumfries and Galloway coast. For more information, visit the website.
